New Traineeships programme offers fresh jobs hope for school leavers

Available since the beginning of August, Traineeships offer young people work preparation training, an opportunity to improve their English and maths and a high quality work placement.

They also provide an important stepping stone to apprenticeships, which are increasingly becoming a destination of choice for young people. Last year, 291,300 young people aged between 16 and 24 started an apprenticeship in England, an increase of 5.9% on the previous year.

Traineeships are a much needed programme for those who need more support before they are ready to start an apprenticeship. The new programme is also an attractive option for those who have little work experience which means that their chances of finding employment in the current economic climate have been diminished.

Government data shows that 40% of young people who took English and maths GCSE last year did not achieve an A* to C grade in them, but these subjects are seen as crucial employability skills. They will be learnt as functional skills for the workplace as part of a Traineeship.

Traineeships will be delivered by independent training providers and colleges working in partnership with local employers. The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) has been calling on ministers to introduce the new programme since the coalition government entered office.

The Association has stressed that the importance of making Traineeships flexible to meet the individual needs of employers and young people. This includes ensuring that worries over possibly losing benefits do not arise and act as barrier against participation.

AELP chief executive Stewart Segal said:

“Youth unemployment has remained stubbornly high despite the more encouraging signals about the economy recently. At the same time, winning a place on an apprenticeship is now highly valued, so young people with good exam results are at a distinct advantage. This means that the introduction of Traineeships is a vital new option for school leavers, especially for those who may be feeling down about their job prospects after receiving their results.

“Traineeships are new but they are expected to grow in number quickly and be available across many sectors.”

High satisfaction rates with apprenticeships
AELP has welcomed latest government research which shows that 83% of apprentices said their apprenticeship improved their ability to do their job and boosted their career prospects. 78% said that they would recommend apprenticeships to others.

Stewart Segal said:

“We need to see increased awareness among young people and parents about the benefits that apprenticeships can offer. Over the last year or so, there has definitely been a sea-change in perception about the value of apprenticeships among employers, young people and the media. Apprenticeships are rightly no longer regarded as a second-rate option. To capitalise on this, we need to encourage more employers to offer places and the fact that 8 out of 10 employers already involved in the programme are ready to recommend it to other businesses is a strong message that needs promoting.”